NFL Draft: Scout’s Notebook

This is NFL Draft Scout’s Notebook, where Matt McGuire will list the notes he took while scouting players for the 2011 NFL Draft, 2012 NFL Draft and beyond.
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Posted Sept. 27, 2010

Alabama vs. Arkansas


Ryan Mallett

1st – 14:55 – Unchallenging throw to a WIDE-OPEN WR

1st – 14:23 – Another unchallenging throw to a WR where no Bama player is within 10 yards of him – these types of throws DO NOT impress me as a scout because every QB can throw to wide open WRs

1st – 12:02 – Drag route … ball is behind WR and WR unable to get yards after catch … inaccurate throw

1st – 6:13 – Horrendous footwork … panicked under pressure and threw a bad ball to a covered WR … should have escaped pocket and thrown ball away or run for yardage

1st – 5:00 – Footwork on drop back must be polished – too leggy and unpolished … very nice velocity on deep out from far hash … ball slightly off target (WR might have quit on route)

1st – 4:19 – Ball slightly off target again … too high and WR has to adjust negating yards after catch … good job stepping up to get throw off

1st – 3:04 – Throwing flat footed from pocket … doesn’t step into throw … nice throw with good velocity

1st – 2:32 – Good job eluding blitz … poor balance in pocket and makes terrible decision to throw … should have been INT-d here … no reason to make this throw when falling to ground

1st – 1:53 – Bad footwork in pocket and off balance … ball is thrown too hard on a 6-yard dig route … left foot steps out and this offsets throw … ball behind WR … very RAW passer … I am still seeing a 3rd round pick on tape – not a 1st/2nd

2nd – 13:17 – Wide open WR here again and unchallenging throw … big yards, but this just isn’t something that impresses me as a scout. I want to see Mallett make big-time throws into tighter windows

2nd – 12:52 – Throws off back foot again, but ball has touch and accuracy on fade route

2nd – 11:39 – Stares down WR and throws a bad INT (in red zone on 3rd & G) … horrendous decision to a WR who was obviously covered … throws off back foot

2nd – 1:33 – Wide open TE on drag route … easy throw, but nets 12 passing yards for you stat geeks out there that love numbers

2nd – 0:45 – Shows off arm strength here … nice throw to WR in tight window vs. Tampa-2 defense … Ball could have come out sooner so WR could have eluded safety

3rd – 9:14 – Bad accuracy here but gets completion … ball was off target because his feet were flat footed and not in line with throw

4th – 14:31 – Fails to set feet and throws off back foot … incomplete pass

4th – 4:53 – Horrendous decision … throws to receiver who is double covered … ball is overthrown … INT … statue in pocket and doesn’t consider moving out to create throwing lane

4th – 3:13 – Ball is thrown way too hard on drag route and receiver doesn’t catch it … no reason for ball to be thrown this hard when receiver is 10 yards away

4th – 1:57 – Horrendous pocket awareness … a complete statue … great blocking out front, Mallett should have flushed out to the right and ran the football or created a passing lane … instead completely overthrows TE and forces INT … Mallett has zero mobility and this really hurts his chances in the NFL – because he will face a pass rush


Marcell Dareus

1st – 14:55 – Nice power off snap … stays low and gets a push … nice hand use

1st – 6:13 – Double teamed … nice hands at POA to keep separation … love his motor and competes … too powerful and athletic for C/RG double team and gets penetration to notch QB hurry

1st – 6:06 – Loses leverage battle … stays with play and hits RB

1st – 5:00 – Great instincts to get hand up as QB releases ball

1st – 2:23 – Nice power and bulls over RT … misses tackle on sideline

2nd – 4:37 – Excellent, powerful hands here … gets involved and nice hustle

2nd – 0:57 – Doesn’t get good hand extension here … fails to shed blocker and make tackle

3rd – 11:36 – Nice throw showing arm strength here over the middle

3rd – 0:38 – Fails to set edge and not quick off ball … seems to have lost stamina in 2nd half (UPDATE: Injured)


Demarcus Love

1st – 14:23 – Bending at waist too much … sluggish footwork

1st – 10:23 – Nice hand extension here, but too high with a narrow base and not the greatest balance … not particularly light on feet

1st – 6:06 – Extremely fast in getting to 2nd level to block MIKE … bends at waist, doesn’t keep feet underneath, and loses balance to not sustain block … out of control

1st – 5:00 – Shows more effort with technique here, but isn’t very poised

1st – 3:43 – Nice job using angle to seal off Dareus … base is too narrow still bending at waist too much


James Carpenter

1st – 12:53 – Lacks elite agility, footwork to meet DE initially at edge … has to adjust and give up angle


Greg McElroy

1st – 12:53 – Very inaccurate throw on bubble screen and this should have been a pick-6

2nd – 7:25 – Nice throw on 3rd and 5 on the run to Maze on sideline … had easier throw to Julio Jones for a 1st down … should have checked down here for higher percentage throw.

2nd – 6:53 – Pitiful throw on WR screen

2nd – 6:01 – Horrible throw and bad field vision on INT … can’t play in NFL

2nd – 2:02 – Completely stared down wide open WR here … huge INT … not a very intelligent QB


Don’ta Hightower

1st – 12:35 – Takes VERY poor angle to football … should have had TFL here or 1-yard gain … overpursues and bad football IQ

1st – 11:24 – Loafing around … slow to hit gap … invisible and inactive

1st – 10:50 – Sluggish/passive … lets ballcarrier come to him instead of attacking gap … lumbering around with bad motor

1st – 4:53 – Doesn’t hit gap … gets blocked at 2nd level … NON-COMPETITIVE

4th – 5:55 – Lacks range … fails to make impact … no speed or hustle


Courtney Upshaw 1st – 12:35 – Nice hustle in pursuit and makes tackle from backside

1st – 10:50 – Tough, physical … takes on Love here and holds ground … gets invovled with tackle


Mark Barron

1st – 9:02 – Fights through block and makes HUGE hit on receiver .. really violent hit

1st – 4:19 – off man coverage … flips hips around too early and has to adjust … uses speed to recover and makes bit hit on WR to jar ball loose to sideline

2nd – 0:57 – Bad instincts … dropping back in coverage and not reading play (run all the way) … Poor tackling technique

2nd – 0:26 – Bad instincts or run blitz here??? Takes outside edge and gives up running lane in C-gap


Mark Ingram

1st – 14:00 – Difficult to do here, but Ingram lacks elite burst to get to corner before tight running lane closes

1st – 6:34 – Nice job following his LG trap block … shows ability to plant foot and explode … not the fastest back, but shows terrific balance on this play by staying in bounds

2nd – 10:01 – Not the greatest vision here … could have kicked it outside for a big gain


D.J. Williams

1st – 3:04 – Very nice hands on catch, but terrible ball security and exposes it when running through traffic … fumbles

2nd – 1:33 – Shows a little athleticism in open field … better ball security here


Trent Richardson

1st – 1:04 – Fails to maintain low pad level when running to sideline and gets knocked over … could have had lower center of gravity here to absorb hit

2nd – 13:51 – Legs go dead on contact

2nd – 8:45 – Legs go dead on contact vs. a 227 pound LBer … not a physical runner …

2nd – 8:02 – Soft and doesn’t run with authority … not a very competitive football player

2nd – 6:48 – Nice elusiveness and makes first man miss … runs with better physicality here … lowers shoulders to engage contact


Julio Jones

1st – 0:37 – Nice flag route and doesn’t tip it off but could have ran lower to come out of break more sharply … good body control to adjust … not a natural hands catcher here and uses body to maintain possession

3rd – 3:26 – Should have caught this football … was held, but had a chance to make this play and didn’t … marginal focus






MISSING





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